Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to Join the Journey podcast with your host, Emma, daughter.

Thanks for joining. Today, we are jumping back into the Book of Exodus. So if you just finished the Holy Week plan and you're joining us for the first time, welcome.

Join the Journey is a daily Bible reading plan from Watermark Community Church,

home of the porch, and many other incredible ministries here in Dallas, Texas. And every day,

Monday through Friday, we're reading about one chapter of the Bible together on the website,

join the journey.com. You can find it devotional, the reading plan, and some good discussion or

reflection questions. But regardless of how you're joining, we'll be here every day on the podcast,

tracking along with you helping unpack the most challenging verses, important themes, and more.

Typically, we'll run about 10 minutes or less, but today will be a little longer as we get back

into the swing of things.

And today, we're reading Exodus 26, a chapter in which we get a lot of details and

descriptions of the tabernacle, but honestly, today's chapter, it's a perfect example of why

the Old Testament gets a bad rap for being irrelevant, hard to understand, and lengthy.

So I'm going to challenge us. Let's set aside those preconceived notions and grow our understanding

of an appreciation for the tabernacle in the Old Testament. I want us to think about it like this.

If you've ever been to a camping section at a sporting goods store or in REI or Bass Pro shops, you'll notice that just about everything in the camping section is collapsible and portable. There are water bottles that fold up and then gain back their shape when filled. They're sleeping bags that can somehow be packed into the tiniest drawstring bags and tents that sleep six and way next to nothing.

These portable and incredibly light items can be an excellent source of provision in dire situations or in remote locations.

So if you found yourself in the middle of a desert or in a forest without the necessary camping gear,

you'd definitely be in a tough spot, especially if you never did Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, respectively. Personally, I'm a Girl

Scouts dropout. I only made it to Brownies, which is like first grade Girl Scouts, so I'd be doomed,

and you'd be in an extra tough spot if it started to rain and you didn't have a tent, a portable

home stocked

...